Electric tire grooving device



April 17, 1934. L, TUETH 1,955,395

ELECTRIC TI RE GROOVING DEVICE Filed Dec. 16, 1932 INVEN'IOR.

Z0WLL 2, 72/57/73 A TTGRN E Y.

Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE Claims.

My invention relates to a new and useful electric tire grooving device adapted for forming one or more grooves in the outer circumferential periphery of a tire, pneumatic or otherwise, my

5 novel device being adjustable to cut grooves of varying depths and any desired spacing.

It is, therefore, the object of my invention to produce an efficient, electrically heated tire grooving device which is adapted to cut a plurality of neat, spaced grooves of any desired depth simultaneously and with the exertion of minimum pressure and with the consumption of a minimum of electrical energy.

To the above ends, my invention consists of a tubular support, handles therefor, a blade sup porting bracket carried by said support, a blade adjustably mounted in said bracket, a resistance element within said bracket, and a conductor for supplying electric energy to said resistance ele-' ment to heat said blade.

My invention still further consists in a novel supporting bracket which is adapted for adjustably and detachably supporting a blade having varying cutting or effective portions to render the device readily applicable to the cutting of grooves of varying depths and of varying lateral spacing.

My invention still further consists of a novel blade adapted for detachable and adjustable attachment to the grooving device, said blade being formed of a single element having suitably spaced and adjustable eifective portions for the cuttingof "grooves of any desired spacing or pattern.

My invention still further consists of various other novel features of construction and advantage, all as hereinafter shown and described in connection with the accompanying drawing in which: a

Figure 1 represents a view partly in plan and partly in section showing a tire grooving device embodying my invention.

Figure 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a section on line 8-3 of Figure 1, on a slightly enlarged scale.

Figure 4 represents a section on line 4-.-4 of Figure 1, also on a slightly enlarged scale.

Figure 5 represents a section, on line 5-50! Figure 1, also on a slightly enlarged scale.

Figure-6 represents a composite, perspective view of various forms of the cutting blade formingpart of my invention.

Refen'ing to the drawing, and particularly to Figure 1, it will be seen that my novel electric tire grooving device comprises a tubular horizontal support 11, to the ends of which are threaded or otherwise suitably secured the handles 12. The handles 12 may be of the construction illustrated in Figure 1, in which a threaded '60' sleeve 13 engages the correspondingly threaded end of the tubular support 11, said threaded sleeve being retained in position by the set screw 14 which is inserted in the hollow portion 15 of the handle 12, there being a plug or cap 16 for closing the outer end of the handle. While this is a convenient and suitable construction, I want it understood that any form f handle can be used and can be applied in any desired manner.

17 designates an electrical conductor which is provided with the plug 18 for connection with any electrical socket and which enters the hollow tubular support 11 through one of the handles 12 (see Figure l), the electrical conductor 17 passing through said tubular support 11 and 7 emerging through the opening 20 and terminating in a suitable resistance element 21 which is nested in a tubular opening 22 in the supporting block or bracket 23. The block or bracket 23 is firmly secured to. the transverse tubular support so 11 by means of the vertical screws 25 and the transverse screws 24 which engage corresponding threaded openings in the tubular support 11, as will be best understood from Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5, The supporting bracket 23 is provided with the horizontal ledge or extension 26 which is somewhat in front of and below the main body portion of the bracket 23 and which is adapted to support thecutting blade 27 which is clamped thereupon by the outer blade 28 fastened by the plurality of screws 29 which are adapted to engage corresponding threaded openings in the. ledge 26. The ledge 26 is provided with cut out portions through which the pendant U-shaped efiective portions 30 of the blade 27 are adapted to extendor project, as shown in Figure 3. The construction just referred to will be more clearly understood by reference to Figure 6, in which it will be seen that the blade 2'7 is an integral memher-having the pendant U-shaped cutting edges 30 which are adapted to extend below the bottom of the ledge 26 through suitable cut outs therein, the rear cut out portions 31 of the blade 27 being provided to permit passage of the fastening screws 29. The openings in the ledge 26 can be uniformly or irregularly spaced to receive any one of the various forms of blades shown in Figure 6 or other forms of blades not shown in the drawing. Thus, if itis desired to cut one groove, the relatively small blade at the left hand top portion of Figure 6 is employed; and if it is I desired to out two grooves, any one of the remaining three forms could be used to provide two groups of varying spacing. The heating element 21 embedded within the bracket 23 is completely surrounded and the heat developed therein is absorbed in its entirety by the bracket 23 and the blade 27 carried thereby, so that there is a minimum Waste of heat. It will be noted that my novel tire grooving device is adapted to be employed as the push or pull type, that is to cut by being pushed away from the operator or by being pulled towards the operator by a. mere reversal of the position of the handles, and that to change from one blade to another it is merely necessary to detach such of the screws 29 as are used to secure the plate 22 in position, whereupon the clamping plate 28 is loosened or released and the blade 27 can be pulled outwardly without complete disengagement of the screws 29 and another blade can be similarly applied. It is, of course, understood that the handles 12 are formed of an insulating material so as to remain relatively cool and permit handling of the device. In order to render the cutting blades 27 vertically adjustable, that is in order to regulate the extent to which the effective portions 30 of the blades will project below the ledge 26, spacing shims or washers 33 can be employed, the thickness and numbers of such spacing washers depending upon the amount of adjustment desired. In Figures 3, 4 and 5, I have illustrated the use of a single spacing washer. The cutting blades illustrated in Figure 6 may be provided with two or more effective cutting portions 30, depending upon the number of grooves to be cut simultaneously. It is also within the scope of my invention to form the cutting blades with effective cutting portions 30 of varying sizes in order to provide a curved cutting surface corresponding to the curvature of the circumference of the tire. The heating element 21 is preferably retained within the opening 22 by means of the plug or other closure 34 which is secured to the bracket 23 by suitable fastening devices 35. This construction renders the heating element readily accessible for replacement or repair.

The operation is as follows: When it is desired to regroove the outer surface of a tire which is worn down smooth, the plug 18 is inserted in an electric socket, and after the cutting blade 27 is sufllciently heated, the effective cutting edges 30 are applied to the surface of the tire'and the device is either pushed from or pulled towards the operator to cut annular grooves in the outer surface of the tire of a depth depending upon theextent to which the effective cutting portions 30 T extend below the bottom of the ledge. 26.

It will thus be seen that I have devised a novel, efiicient, inexpensive and durable electric tire grooving device which can cut one or more grooves expeditiously andneatly, which groove can be arranged in any desired pattern and which can be made of any desired depth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electric tire grooving device comprising a tubular support, handles near the ends thereof, a bracket detachably secured to said support, a heating element carried by said bracket, an electrical conductor extending through said tubular support for energizing said heating element, and a blade carried by said bracket and adapted to be heated by said element.

2. An electric tire grooving device comprising a tubular support, handles therefor, a bracket detachably secured to said support, a heating element carried by said bracket, an electrical conductor extending through said tubular support for energizing said heating element, and a blade detachably carried by said bracket and adapted to be heated by said element.

3. An electric tire grooving device comprising a tubular support, handles therefor, a bracket detachably secured to said support, a heating element carried by said bracket, an electrical conductor extending through said tubular support for energizing said heating element, and a blade carried by said bracket and adapted to be heated by said element, said blade having a body portion engaged by said bracket and cutting portions projecting beyond the median plan of said bracket. 4

4. An electric tire grooving device comprising a support, a blade adapted to cut a predetermined composite pattern detachably carried by said support, means for heating said blade, handles detachably mounted at the ends of said support whereby the relation of said handles to said support may be reversed to permit operation of said tire grooving device in a direction away from or towards the operator, -and means for securing said handles in either of their operative positions with respect to said support.

5. An electric tire grooving device comprising a support, a blade carried by said support, means for heating said blade, handles detachably mounted at the ends of said support whereby the relation of said handles to said support may be reversed to permit operation of said tire grooving device in a direction away from or towards the operator, and means for securing said handles in either of their operative pgsitions with respect to said support. v

.' LOWELL D. TUETH. 

